Because Hulu is not licensed to offer streaming services in other countries, the popular streaming website is only available in the United States. The user’s IP address—a digital identifier that shows websites the location the streamer is connecting from—is how Hulu identifies the location, thus restricting viewers outside the U.S. With a VPN, users can obtain a new IP address assigned to one of the servers in various countries. Hulu will identify the user as located within the broadcasting area and allow the individual to view regular streaming accounts without restriction. Using a VPN with Hulu is also a great way to securely and anonymously stream other platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime Video. However, because Hulu knows some users utilize VPNs to get around content geo-restrictions, Hulu regularly updates the website’s ability to identify and block VPN IP addresses. Users should get a VPN that won’t be detected to avoid the inconvenience of using a program that does not work with the platform.
The only way to watch Hulu outside the U.S. is through a VPN. The steps for unblocking the site using a VPN are given below.
- Research and choose the best VPN for Hulu.
- Install the VPN on your device.
- Sign in to your account.
- Connect to the country you need to unblock Hulu.
- Go to Hulu on your browser or open the Hulu app on your phone or PC.
Table of Contents
1. Research and Choose the Best VPN for Hulu
The things to look out for when researching VPNs for Hulu are given below.
- Consider VPNs that provide a large number of servers in the U.S.
- Find a VPN that does not keep logs of user activity. This will protect the user’s identity if the VPN is ever required to turn over logs for legal actions.
- The best VPN must have fast servers in the U.S. to stream Hulu content without any issues or slowdowns.
- Always choose a VPN with secure encryption and protocols.
- Fast and reliable customer support is also needed when the user has questions about using the VPN.
- Another important factor is whether the VPN is guaranteed to work with Hulu.
- Look for VPNs that offer a money-back guarantee if users aren’t satisfied.
- Find a VPN that offers unlimited bandwidth to stream Hulu content without any issues or interruptions.
- Consider the pricing plan. Paid VPNs are always better, as many free VPNs sell users’ data to advertisers for revenue.
2. Install the VPN on Your Device
First, the user will need to download and install the VPN, as described below.
- Download the VPN app from the service’s website.
- Install the VPN software on the device.
- Open the app and sign up for an account if the user hasn’t already done so.
3. Sign In to Your Account
Next, sign in to the account using the steps below.
- Enter the login credentials.
- Enter the password to confirm the login.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the signin process.
4. Connect to the Country You Need to Unblock Hulu
Follow the steps below to connect to a server in a country where Hulu is available, namely the U.S.
- Select the VPN server from the list that is displayed.
- Connect to the U.S.-based IP address provided by the VPN.
5. Go to Hulu on Your Browser or Open the Hulu App on Your Phone or PC
The final steps are given below.
- Go to Hulu.com.
- Open the Hulu app on the phone or PC.
- Wait for the VPN connection to be established and watch Hulu content.
What Is the Best VPN to Use to Watch Hulu Outside the US?
ExpressVPN is the best VPN for Hulu. With ExpressVPN, users can watch Hulu on different devices and bypass Hulu’s geoblocking. The software also has fast servers in the U.S. and other locations and offers high-level encryption. ExpressVPN is a fast and secure VPN service, making the program perfect for streaming. This VPN also provides a straightforward user interface and is compatible with most devices. ExpressVPN also offers top-notch customer support and 24/7 live chat support and doesn’t have any bandwidth limitations or restrictions.
As the best VPN for Hulu, ExpressVPN is a big player in the business and boasts excellent protection capabilities, in addition to the program’s large network of over 3,000 servers in 94 countries. Users can watch ABC, NBC and other streaming services outside the U.S. without technical issues with the optimized servers.
Note:
Furthermore, ExpressVPN offers excellent security, consisting of AES 256-bit encryption, HA 512-bit authentication encryption, ChaCha20/Poly1305 encryption, IKEv2, OpenVPN and Lightway (ExpressVPN’s proprietary protocol). In addition, the program provides a kill switch, split tunneling, RAM-only servers, an auto-connect button and country updates to alert VPN users when servers are down.With MediaStreamer DNS, users can view geographically restricted material anywhere. The VPN allows Ultra HD streaming, guaranteeing a seamless and smooth viewing experience. ExpressVPN’s MediaStreamer is an excellent alternative for streaming if the user’s device doesn’t support VPN natively. However, users need to register IP addresses on the ExpressVPN website to successfully use MediaStreamer.
Is Hulu Available Outside the US?
Hulu is currently available in the U.S. only. Hulu content is restricted by copyright laws, distribution rights and geo-restrictions. The viewer will need a VPN and a U.S. IP address to bypass all restrictions. A VPN will help access Hulu content anywhere in the world.
Is It Illegal to Use a VPN to Watch Hulu?
No, it is not illegal to use a VPN to watch Hulu, generally. Using a VPN to watch Hulu is legal as long as the VPN is legal in the user’s location. VPNs are subject to different laws in different countries. While a VPN is legal, users should avoid breaking the law anonymously because one can get in trouble when identified, especially in countries with robust censorship measures, such as China and Russia.
What to Do When a VPN Is Blocked?
Users should choose the right circumvention technique to overcome VPN blocking depending on the type of firewall or service being blocked. VPN providers have intricate workarounds to circumvent nearly every technique firewalls and websites use to identify VPN traffic to prevent VPN blockades.
When a VPN is blocked, users can use different techniques to unblock the VPN. Switching the server or IP address is one of the remedies for unblocking a VPN. Another method is employing a different protocol to connect to the same server—for instance, OpenVPN over TCP port 443 instead of OpenVPN over UDP port 1194. Using obfuscation (stealth protocols) can also help users bypass VPN blocking, as the feature will hide the user’s traffic from the firewall. Some VPN providers offer obfuscation as a default setting. Getting a dedicated IP address could bypass VPN blocking.
Pro Tip:
The other technique that can help users when VPN is blocked is changing DNS settings. This can be done through services such as OpenDNS or Google DNS, which are free and easy to use. Finally, using a proxy server or a proxy application (such as Hotspot Shield) that hides the user’s original IP address and routes all traffic through the proxy server can be a remedy for a blocked VPN.Is There Another Way to Watch Hulu Outside the US with a VPN?
Yes, there is another way to watch Hulu outside the U.S.: Smart DNS, a service that hides the user’s original IP address.
Using a VPN with a SmartDNS service is one of the most secure ways to watch Hulu outside the U.S. However, when using a VPN with a SmartDNS service, the user may need to choose between speed and security.
I can assure you that IPVanish will not allow you to access Hulu from outside the US. Or Amazon. Neither will ExpressVPN or StrongVPN.
I believe Hulu and Amazon have figured out a way to identify the IP addresses of all the VPN providers and they block them all. The have obviously some top engineers working on blocking all VPN’s.
Sorry, I have no other solution. But the VPN providers are going to need to solve this or go out of business.
The only way you might be able to access Hulu and Amazon from outside the US is to have a PC or Mac inside the US that you can remote control. Or use a SlingBox.
Unfortunately, that is true in many cases Norm G. Sites like Hulu, Netflix and Amazon are constantly blocking VPN service provider.
But you also have to take into account that some top VPN service providers have their people working on the problem as well.
In other words, some VPN services that didn’t work with sites like US Netflix and Amazon, now do.
So its a constant game of cat and mouse.
Netflix and Amazon will continue to block VPN services and VPN services will continue to find ways of circumventing their geo-restrictions.
But the VPN providers have no reservations about posting false and misleading online advertising claiming that they can simply and easily connect to Hulu and Amazon.
And you, as an affiliate, are making money by recommending a company that is no better or worse than all the rest. IPVanish costs less but has no live support, only e-mail.
And all the companies make it so easy for Hulu and Amazon by registering their servers in their own company names. Running a simple whois query on these IP addresses shows the ownership in the name of the VPN provider.
If the US servers were registered as shell corporations with names like East Podunk Cablevision and not VPN King (both made up names for illustrative purposes) it might make the servers harder to identify. And put them in small, rural towns in the US, not in Manhattan or Silicon Valley.
I tried numerous cities in IPVanish and none of them work. And as a subscriber to Hulu or Amazon, the first time I hit them with a known VPN IP, they can just start harvesting and blocking every other IP I might choose until I return home to the US and use a known verified US ISP like Comcast or Time Wwarner.
Best solution remains finding a friend and paying for a second cable/internet outlet in their house and using Slingbox. The only problem is the friend must have some technology smarts to be able to reset the connection if needed.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback.
IPvanish did have live chat support.
But now they have abolished that feature for some unknown reason.
We’ll have the updates on that soon.
You also have to realize that IPvanish is ranked highly by many authoritative review sites such as,
PCMAG
PCWorld
Tomsguide
IGN
Techradar
We’re sorry it didn’t work out for you.
Streaming services are always banning VPN services and their servers.
Sometimes it takes these VPN services some time to get past those bans.
The problem is not the VPN (which you can surely set up so that hulu could not tell) but that in order to watch you need to register a US credit card/paypal account… thus the only people who can watch hulu outside the US are people that work inside the US and have their fancial details there.
That is somewhat true.
But you can always ask a relative/friend/co-worker for their account.
Or to share their subscription with you.
You can also group-buy these services.
There are also services that offer you financial details which will work with US companies but most of them aren’t that trustworthy.
“There is not a soul on this planet that doesn’t want access to Hulu. ”
Wow… I guess I don’t have a soul. Never had much craving for Hulu. Wouldn’t mind US version of Netflix, or Philo.
The notion that “some” or “good” VPN will work with Hulu while “others” or “old” won’t, is…er… amusing. If you think about it just for a second, anything new ages and becomes old, by definition. These days and in this sector it ages very quickly.
The bottom line is – it’s a losing battle.
Oh yeah, and VPN speed sucks, inlcuding VPNvanish.
I hope you’ll earn your pennies-for-a-click, at least this article is not half as stupid as dozen others. Messy, though.
Hi Serge.
Thank you for the feedback.
Old VPNs indeed do not work with many streaming services now.
Good VPN service providers constantly upgrade their infrastructure in order to ensure that they can provide a faster, more reliable streaming experience.
In other words, things do get old.
We agree with you that on the internet, products tend to get old pretty quickly.
NordVPN has some of the best VPN servers in the market today.
Maybe you accessed a server that had too much load on it.
Hulu requires users to turn on Geo-location. So even if your IP is in the US, you can’t fake your geolocation. And Hulu sees your geolocation as outside the US, despite the fact your IP address is in the US.
That’s strange.
Maybe you should ask your VPN service provider to provide you with a dedicated IP address instead of a shared one.
These are much more resilient against geo-restrictions employed by services such as Netflix and Hulu.
For what I saw today, after having tried a free trial subscription for Hulu, even if you have a VPNopen channel when they ask you your credit card datas (a paypal in my case) the zip code you enter shows you are not in the U.S.
I think there is not way you can have access unless you, somehow, get an American credit card somewhere.
Hi Elisabetta,
Yes you need to have American credit card details.
You can ask for those from your friends/family who live in the US.
Or you can, as many have done, go to a website like Fiverr where people offer services to set up PayPal accounts in another country for you in exchange for payment.
Gift cards ;)
Thanks for the comment Anonymous.
They do exist. so, yes?
You can not always get access to hulu using a VPN because Hulu has been blocking the VPN providers. However, some VPNs providers are working on this problem and does allow you to access Hulu easily. I have been using Ivacy VPN since a long time and so far I did not find any difficulties in accessing Hulu.
However, they do ask for a credit card number but that is not a problem, you can ask any one of your relative or friend who lives in US to provide you with one.
Hi Bruce.
Thanks for the comment.
Glad you have figured that out so easily.
Hey, tried searching the app on app store but to no avail. Just wondering, does this require me to change my apple id region?
Hi B87.
Thanks fort he comment.
Yes. you will have to change that as well.